On Saturday 22nd April 2022, Rochdale were relegated out of the English Football League after losing 1-0 at promotion-chasing Stockport County, ending their 102-year-spell as a League club with two matches to spare and leaving the town best known as the birthplace of the modern co-operative moment without a club in the professional leagues in England. This defeat was the culmination of a disastrous season for the Spotland club which saw two managers sacked, just nine league wins recorded and 26 losses, by far the most in League Two this campaign.
However, not too long ago Rochdale were an established League One club that were admired for being well-run and able to punch above their weight alongside multiple former Premier League clubs, as well as giving Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur major scares in cup ties. They also made £1.75m in transfer fees combined for promising young players Luke Matheson and Dan Adshead during this period, thus generating additional income alongside that made from the cup fixtures. So, what has caused this sudden downward spiral and how can the club turn their fortunes around? I will look at four key factors behind what is proving to be a dreadful 2020s so far for Rochdale and how mistakes can be rectified in order for the club to be able to regain it’s EFL status sooner than some fans are fearing.
COVID-19
It could be argued that the beginning of Rochdale’s decline in their standing in English football began when the outbreak of COVID-19 forced all professional football in England to be stopped on 13th March 2020. At this moment, Dale looked well-placed to secure another season in League One having been seven points clear of the relegation zone after defeating Rotherham United in what eventually turned out to be their final match in that season, and two months earlier taking Newcastle United to a replay in the FA Cup 3rd round.
However, the financial impact of COVID-19 caused by the lack of matches meant that it became much harder to invest the money made from the recent cup ties and player sales into the squad, and the rest of the season was eventually cancelled with Rochdale finishing 18th on a points-per-game basis. The following season was played entirely behind closed doors due to COVID measures being in place and the club suffered a poor season on the pitch, with a 21st place finish ending the club’s seven-year spell in the third tier. Manager Brian Barry-Murphy left the club by mutual consent shortly after, with former West Brom and Sunderland coach Robbie Stockdale replacing him.
The Morton House Saga
As well as the changes in league and management, the summer of 2021 also saw an attempt by a consortium known as Morton House MGT to take control of Rochdale, which was led by a businessman called Andrew Curran. Rochdale are currently owned by its supporters through a method in which shares are regularly sold, and in July of that summer, the consortium claimed to have acquired 42% of the club’s shares. However, the purchase of these shares were found to have not conformed to the EFL’s Owners and Directors’ Test and the EFL subsequently launched an investigation.
During this investigation, Curran was charged with an aggravated breach of Rule E3 by the FA for making a homophobic comment during a meeting with the Rochdale board and the EFL, and in January 2022 he was found guilty of this charge and banned from all football activity for 63 days. The attempted ‘hostile’ takeover collapsed and Morton House MGT initially agreed to withdraw from holding shares in the club, however in January 2022 it launched a High Court petition against Rochdale AFC, the remaining directors and the Dale Supporters’ Trust in which was described as an unprecedented move in English football.
At this point, the person appearing to front the consortium was former Charlton Athletic chief executive Matt Southall, who remains a deeply unpopular figure amongst Addicks fans for the way he operated the club during his very short tenure (he was ordered to pay £21,000 in costs after admitting to illegally transferring the status of directors). Southall was found to be working as an advisor to Morton House during the initial attempted takeover and it was also revealed that he (alongside several associates) had applications to purchase shares rejected by the club. The news of the legal action resulted in fans of many other clubs crowdfunding to help raise money to cover the costs of fees (of which included fans of European giants Roma and Borussia Dortmund) but needing to find the money needed in order to buy the shares that Morton House purchased was a very unwelcome distraction for Rochdale’s board.
Eventually, in August 2022 Morton House officially transferred it’s shares to the board and the legal battle was finally settled. As for the EFL investigation, in October 2022 the club were handed a suspended six-point deduction for ‘failing to comply with EFL regulations’ during the acquisition of shares by Morton House, whilst four individuals (Curran, David Bottomley, Darrell Rose and Faical Safouane) were banned from operating as a ‘relevant person’ at football clubs.
Uninspiring Managerial Appointments
With the ongoing off-pitch drama happening in the background, Rochdale’s 2021-22 season proved to be a mediocre one with the club recording an 18th-placed finish, never being seriously threatened with back-to-back relegations but also failing to be close to challenging for a playoff spot despite a relatively decent start. The following campaign begun disastrously though and after losing the first four games of the league season, Stockdale was removed from his post, becoming the first manager to leave his position in the top four divisions in 2022-23. He was replaced with former Morecambe manager Jim Bentley, whose previous role saw him being sacked by National League North club AFC Fylde having been in charge when the Coasters were relegated from the National League in 2020.
Due to this record, Bentley was seen by many fans as an uninspiring choice especially when managers who have had recent success in League Two such as David Artell and Keith Curle were available at the time. Four wins in his first 11 league games helped lift Dale to 19th in November, but after beating Salford City 1-0 Bentley’s team would only win two of their next 21 League Two fixtures (both wins perhaps surprisingly coming against promotion chasing teams Bradford City and Stevenage) and a dismal defeat at fellow strugglers Crawley Town on 25th March proved to be the final straw, as Bentley was sacked two days later, leaving the club rooted to the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety.
Many Dale fans felt at the time that Bentley should have been sacked earlier in the season as his style of play was regularly criticised for being ‘boring’ to watch. His tactical decisions and team selections were also questioned repeatedly by fans and it was argued that replacing him earlier with a manager such as John Askey or the previously mentioned Artell might have given them a better chance of survival.
Underwhelming Player Performances
Perhaps the most common criticism I heard from Rochdale fans regarding their dreadful season is concerning the ability and desire of the current squad of players. The return of club legend Ian Henderson on a one-year deal initially gave some fans optimism and he would later become the club’s all-time record goalscorer by netting the winner against Salford. However, it cannot be argued that much of the recruitment throughout the season has been very poor with only Henderson, top scorer Devante Rodney, Danny Lloyd, Toby Mullarkey and Richard O’Donnell really being reasonably successful.
A large turnover of players in recent years has meant that there has not been much stability in regards to the playing squad and also means fans have not been able to connect as effectively with the players. However, this season’s squad has come in for at times especially stinging criticism from sections of the fanbase with many citing a perceived lack of effort on the pitch as the key reason behind the poor performances and results.
Perhaps the moment that summed up the dire on-pitch displays was when captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell was sent off for a ridiculously high challenge on Hartlepool’s Jack Hamilton during their match at Victoria Park in January, a match they went on to lose 2-0. This incident was widely shared on social media and many fans felt that it was a clear sign that the squad was lacking good leadership as well as strong decision making.
A number of players were signed on long-term deals which could make it difficult for the club to be able to move them on in the summer as they prepare for life in the National League. It may also be difficult to keep hold of a number of players who have performed this season such as Lloyd and Mullarkey who could well attract interest from EFL clubs. What is without question though is that in order to be competitive in what will be a tough National League next season (regardless of who eventually wins the playoffs), yet another rebuild of the playing squad is required.
What Needs To Happen To Turn Things Around?
Despite the dire circumstances that have resulted in Rochdale losing their EFL status this year, I do not believe they will follow the way of Scunthorpe United and suffer a second consecutive relegation next season as the ownership situation is currently much more stable than that of the Iron this time last year. The antics of the Morten House consortium have without question contributed to the club’s recent demise as the legal cases drained out much of the club’s funds which could have been spent on recruiting better quality players and managers, which arguably shows that even takeover attempts that fail, especially by individuals with suspicious motives and backgrounds, could have wide-ranging consequences on the club affected.
However, it is important that the club hire a permanent manager before the summer transfer window officially starts as doing this would provide them with plenty of time to identify and recruit the players they wish and build a solid team. This manager ideally should be one who is seen as a ‘project manager’ and has strong recent experience in the National League or is seen as a promising up-and-coming manager, potentially former Notts County boss Ian Burchnall, Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson or ex-Dagenham & Redbrige and Macclesfield manager Daryl McMahon.
If the club is able to move on a number of underperforming players, that would also help save vast amounts of money from the wage bill, thus making it more sustainable as they deal with factors such as reduced prize money and (likely) lower attendance figures. Wherever the club can return to the EFL soon though will vastly depend on factors such as hiring a high-quality manager, finding decent players in the transfer market as well as potentially receiving additional investment from credible and trustworthy sources.
References:
https://www.efl.com/news/2022/october/efl-statement-rochdale-afc–morton-house/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62776327
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/02/16/dortmund-roma-fans-chipped-save-rochdale-real-fight-starts/
https://theathletic.com/3149942/2022/03/01/rochdale-the-club-with-a-dark-cloud-hanging-over-it/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51685207
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65283681
https://thecharltondossier.com/matt-southall/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62693533
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/businessman-who-attempted-hostile-takeover-22717152
